A new outdoor, climate-controlled defibrillator cabinet has been fitted at the all-weather training pitch of Arniston Rangers Youth Football Club (ARYFC), located at Arniston Public Park.

Donated by Melville and fitted for free by Magnus, the outdoor cabinet means that ARYFC’s defibrillator is now available for use 24 hours a day. It’s also registered with the Scottish Ambulance Service so that members of the public, on dialling 999 in the event of a cardiac emergency in the local area, can be given the access code, allowing them to start treatment before paramedics arrive.

Andrew Cranston, chairperson of ARYFC, said: “The club has had a defibrillator for a wee while now but it could only be used when the clubhouse was open. We’re a community club so we wanted it to be more widely available. That’s why we approached Melville, who’ve been good to us in the past, to see if they could help.

“Buying the cabinet and paying for it to be installed would have really eaten into the club’s finances, especially at this tricky time, so we’re extremely grateful to Melville and Magnus for their help. Hopefully the defibrillator will never be required however it’s good to know it’s available for anyone who needs it.”

A defibrillator can be used when there’s a serious interruption to the heart’s normal rhythm, and works by delivering an electric shock to kick start the heart back into its normal pattern. Every second counts in a cardiac arrest so it’s vital that someone can step in to perform CPR and use a defibrillator before an ambulance arrives.

Andrew Noble, chief executive of Melville Housing Association, added: “We’re delighted to have been able to help out ARYFC with this project. Last year we fitted a cabinet outside our office in Dalkeith, making our own defibrillator available to the public 24/7, and we fully support other organisation’s doing the same thing. I look forward to seeing many more around Midlothian in the years to come.”

Paul Kane, contracts supervisor at Magnus Electrical Services Ltd, said: “Magnus Electrical Services are delighted to have the opportunity to provide our services for installing such a critical piece of life-saving equipment.”